TOP Laureate James Turrell

The 32nd

Laureate

Sculpture

James Turrell

Fascinated by light from childhood,the quiet,seeming-simplicity of artist James Turrell’s works have consistently explored the relationship between light and perception. Reflecting the silent meditation of his upbringing in a Quaker family,Turrell’s works reveal “even in a dream with our eyes closed,we see light”. Born in Los Angeles,Turrell’s studies in Perceptual Psychology and Fine Art provided the ideal grounding for his passion for working with light. In 1967,he held his first solo exhibition at the Pasadena Art Museum. Projection Pieces,with its light-projected,geometric shapes was,“an epiphany for me,when I could actually get light to exist in the space,so you didn't think it was on the wall,but you felt it occupied the space.” Informed by his passions for philosophy,science and flight,Turrell’s work over series such as Ganzfelds and Dark Spaces,explores and plays with our understanding of what and how we see. 102 Skyspaces,with openings to the sky,give audiences globally the chance to contemplate the beauty of shifting nature of light. The apex of Turrell’s creativity is Roden Crater; an extinct volcano in northern Arizona,now the site of one of the world’s most ambitious artwork. Started in 1979 it is the location of a series of chambers and tunnels due to be completed by 2026.

Biography

Carefully considered thought and planning underlie the understated elegance and beauty of James Turrell’s work – where light can be seen to be made ‘as having substance’.
Fascinated by light from childhood,the quiet,seeming-simplicity of many of Turrell’s works reflect his upbringing in a Quaker family. Silent meditation when we “go inside to greet the light” brought Turrell to recognize that “even in a dream with our eyes closed,we see light” and so determine,“I want to deal with the light that connects our inner life with the outer world".
Born in Los Angeles,Turrell’s studies in Perceptual Psychology and Art provided the ideal grounding for his passion for working with light. “I realized if I were going to use light,as a material,to activate or work,the medium of perception,I would have to know more about how we perceive and how we see.”
In 1967,he held his first solo exhibition at the Pasadena Art Museum. Projection Pieces,with its light-projected,geometric shapes was,“an epiphany for me,when I could actually get light to exist in the space,so you didn't think it was on the wall,but you felt it occupied the space.”
Turrell’s art is informed by his passions for philosophy,science and flight. Ganzfelds are works examining the phenomenon of the total loss of a field of depth – experienced by Turrell as a pilot and described in the German word,Ganzfeld. Dark Spaces lead us to understand that there is always light – even if it initially isn’t visible. The Allegory of Plato’s Cave – the notion that we are living in a reality of our own creation – can be seen to be at the heart of much of his work,as he explores and plays with our understanding of what we see.
Turrell’s interest in light extends to the light outside. He has created 102 Skyspaces around the world; buildings or rooms with openings in the ceiling that allows the viewer to see the sky,to witness the magical changing qualities of light. The fine edge to the openings,whether square,rectangular,round or oval,provide an exquisite frame for the sky. Viewers can find themselves sitting for hours,leaning back,watching the canvas changing; the canvas of the sky.
The apex of Turrell’s creativity is Roden Crater; an extinct volcano in northern Arizona,now the site of one of the world’s most ambitious artwork. “Set in a stage of geologic time,the Roden Crater’s chambers and tunnels create a music of the spheres by isolating and intensifying the light of the sun,moon,stars and planets. It invites you to become an active participant in what you see and inspires you to have a deeply personal experience that connects you to the cosmos.” Started in 1979 it is hoped to be completed by 2026.
Throughout his career,Turrell has created works,both permanent and impermanent but his hope is to create an experience of wordless thought that explores a real understanding of how we perceive that most elemental of materials; light.

Chronology

1943
Born in Los Angeles,USA
1965
Graduated from Pomona College,USA
1965-66
Art Graduate Studies,University of California,Irvine,USA
1966
Began experimenting work using light
1967
First solo exhibition in Pasadena Art Museum (present Norton Simon Museum),USA
1973
M.A. in Art from Claremont Graduate University,USA
1974
Produced the first Skyspace work
Guggenheim Fellowship
1979
Began a monumental project at Roden Crater,Arizona,USA
1980
Solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art,New York
1983
Solo exhibition at Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris
1984
Katherine T. and John D. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship,USA
1990
Solo exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art,New York
1992
Friedrich Prize,Germany
1998
Wolf Prize,Israel
1999
Backside of the Moon in Minamidera,Naoshima Art House Project,Japan
2000
House of Light,Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale,Japan
2002
Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture,USA
Honorary Doctorate,Royal Academy of Art,London
2004
Blue Planet Sky,21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa,Japan
2006
Commandeur de L’Ordre des Arts et des Letters,France
Medal of Honor for Art,National Arts Club,USA
2009
Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
2011
Participated in the exhibition,“ILUMInations” at the 54th Venice Biennale
2013
National Medal of Arts,USA
2021
New work of Skyspace series,Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Purusa, 2011

  • Skyspace Lech, 2018

  • At his studio in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

  • Exterior of Roden Crater

  • Roden Crater, Crater's Eye with Clouds

Purusa, 2011
© James Turrell, Photo: Florian Holzherr

Skyspace Lech, 2018 Austria
© James Turrell,
Photo: Florian Holzherr

At his studio in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, 2021
Photo: Yutaka Sato

Exterior of Roden Crater Arizona, USA
© James Turrell

Roden Crater, Crater's Eye with Clouds Arizona, USA
© James Turrell,
Photo: Florian Holzherr